5 ms·

This is potentially a lawsuit waiting to happen: the team that did it for Amazon leaves to do it again on their own, and are marketing themselves as such. I can

This is potentially a lawsuit waiting to happen: the team that did it for Amazon leaves to do it again on their own, and are marketing themselves as such. I can't see how Amazon will be happily quiet with this situation. As a user though, I welcome the competition in this market.

amock 16y ago
Isn't Cuil doing basically the same thing except with Google instead of Amazon?
- derwiki 16y ago
  Is that still being actively developed?
  - amock 16y ago
    I try it out from time to time, but the Cuil blog hasn't had any activity in a while. The results seem to have improved over the past few months, but I haven't noticed any major changes.
  - colonelxc 16y ago
    Now it's http://www.cpedia.com/ http://www.cpedia.com/
borisk 16y ago
You've been completely brainwashed ;)
gojomo 16y ago
Unless/until Amazon objects with a legal basis, it's unfair to the team to assume this is a problem. Grant them the presumption they know what they're doing.
- pierrefar 16y ago
  I do grant them all the benefit of the doubt. I want them to succeed as it would be very good to have more players in the market. My question is when did the inconvenience of proving a real legal basis stop a big company attacking a smaller competitor? Hoover and Dyson is a good example, and in this case, it's a bit more personal.
  - rjurney 16y ago
    Many companies recruit and retain good people by not being shits. They want you to be successful while you work there and after. I have little doubt these guys left with good blessings.
  - gojomo 16y ago
    We should also be granting Amazon the benefit of the doubt unless/until they do something objectionable. Neither of these expecting-the-worst scenarios -- that these employees are facing legal troubles from former employer, nor that their former employer is likely to give them legal troubles -- should be assumed without evidence. That some other 'big company' once before did something similar isn't enough to suggest there's trouble lurking here. Maybe it's enough to ask the earnest question -- "do they have Amazon's blessing?" But not predict problems -- "can't see how Amazon will be happily quiet with this situation".
- ableal 16y ago
  The main page links a press release ( http://nimbula.com/news/2010/06/23/amazon-veterans-launch-company http://nimbula.com/news/2010/06/23/amazon-veterans-launch-co... ), which mentions VC investment (and beta deployments). So, I'd assume due diligence, cleared by lawyers, etc.
subwindow 16y ago
That was my first thought as well. From Amazon's point of view, this is very much "Not cool, dude." I'm not sure at what point it becomes a legal issue, but it is definitely a dickish move.
hga 16y ago
They are located---surprise, surprise---in California. Non-completes and some other legal tools Amazon might use are non-operative there.

amock 16y ago

Isn't Cuil doing basically the same thing except with Google instead of Amazon?

derwiki 16y ago
Is that still being actively developed?
- amock 16y ago
  I try it out from time to time, but the Cuil blog hasn't had any activity in a while. The results seem to have improved over the past few months, but I haven't noticed any major changes.
- colonelxc 16y ago
  Now it's http://www.cpedia.com/ http://www.cpedia.com/

borisk 16y ago

You've been completely brainwashed ;)

gojomo 16y ago

Unless/until Amazon objects with a legal basis, it's unfair to the team to assume this is a problem. Grant them the presumption they know what they're doing.

pierrefar 16y ago
I do grant them all the benefit of the doubt. I want them to succeed as it would be very good to have more players in the market. My question is when did the inconvenience of proving a real legal basis stop a big company attacking a smaller competitor? Hoover and Dyson is a good example, and in this case, it's a bit more personal.
- rjurney 16y ago
  Many companies recruit and retain good people by not being shits. They want you to be successful while you work there and after. I have little doubt these guys left with good blessings.
- gojomo 16y ago
  We should also be granting Amazon the benefit of the doubt unless/until they do something objectionable. Neither of these expecting-the-worst scenarios -- that these employees are facing legal troubles from former employer, nor that their former employer is likely to give them legal troubles -- should be assumed without evidence. That some other 'big company' once before did something similar isn't enough to suggest there's trouble lurking here. Maybe it's enough to ask the earnest question -- "do they have Amazon's blessing?" But not predict problems -- "can't see how Amazon will be happily quiet with this situation".
ableal 16y ago
The main page links a press release ( http://nimbula.com/news/2010/06/23/amazon-veterans-launch-company http://nimbula.com/news/2010/06/23/amazon-veterans-launch-co... ), which mentions VC investment (and beta deployments). So, I'd assume due diligence, cleared by lawyers, etc.

subwindow 16y ago

That was my first thought as well. From Amazon's point of view, this is very much "Not cool, dude." I'm not sure at what point it becomes a legal issue, but it is definitely a dickish move.

hga 16y ago

They are located---surprise, surprise---in California. Non-completes and some other legal tools Amazon might use are non-operative there.